Top iOS Games & Apps in March: Tencent’s Tough Month in China, Supercell on the Up in the West

Our monthly iOS rankings include an overview of the top apps by revenues and downloads, along with the top games. These estimates are provided by our partnership with app analytics specialist PrioriData. Find the full Top iOS Games and Apps by Revenues and Downloads here. The top story in March was Tencent’s relatively poor month in the Chinese market. Although it remained #1 in both iOS game downloads and revenues, it lost its top spot in both the non-game app charts to rivals. Across Europe and the United States, Supercell provided better news for its parent company by growing revenues in most of its games over the month. There was also a mixed picture for dating apps across the West, with the U.S. market suffering a Valentine’s Day hangover.

China: A tough month for Tencent

Tencent remained a dominant force in the Chinese iOS app and game charts, but its position weakened across the rankings. In the top grossing app ranking, Tencent’s QQ, QQTV, QQTV HD, and QQHD all lost ground in the top 10. While messaging app Momo made the biggest dent in Tencent’s position by climbing to the top of the revenue table, three apps from QIYI (formerly iQiyi) entered the top 10, each directly challenging Tencent’s app offerings. Tencent also saw its QQTV video platforms slide in the app download charts. This challenge, however, came from bike-sharing platforms OFO and Mobike, which built on their strong performances in February to ride to the top of the ranking in March.

There was better news for Tencent in the mobile games charts. King of Glory continued its reign at the peak of both download and revenue charts, powering the MOBA onto further success. Nevertheless, it faced a new challenge; Dragon Nest, a free-to-play action RPG, entered the game downloads charts at #2 and reached #4 in terms of revenues. Based on one of the most popular PC games in the country and finally out of a soft launch that started in December, it is likely to rival King of Glory, in the short term at least.

U.S.: NCAA fever hits the country, Supercell has a strong month

The U.S. app download charts were dominated, once again, by partnered social media apps Snapchat and BitMoji. However, the biggest story in the ranking was the arrival of two apps related to the NCAA basketball tournament. The NCAA March Madness app, which allows users to watch and keep up with the competition, entered the top 10, while ESPN’s Tournament Challenge app also charted, as users sought a paid fantasy competition to support their viewing. Both apps are likely to fall out the ranking in April, but show the potential of apps focused on specific popular events or tournaments. In the top app revenues stakes, Netflix continued to sit pretty at the top of the table, with most apps retaining their chart position. There was a notable downturn for Zoosk, Bumble, and Plenty of Fish, suggesting users have dumped them after Valentine’s Day.

There were no new entries in the top 10 grossing iOS games, with Game of War and Candy Crush Saga cemented in first and second place. That said, Supercell had a good month in the charts. Clash Royale, Clash of Clans, and Hay Day each climbed upward, indicating that the company did something right with its March updates. Lastly, in the game download charts, Ketchapp’s Ballz shot straight to #1. In total, there were 10 new entries in the game download ranking, giving developers hope that their game could become visible within this space.

Europe: Super Mario Run jumps higher in Switch launch month

Ballz mimicked its success in the U.S. by claiming the #1 spot in Europe’s game download ranking, but Super Mario Run was arguably the biggest winner of the month. The platformer climbed seven places in the download ranking, likely benefitting from a viral kickback from its arrival on Android and the Nintendo Switch launch hype. This did not, however, translate into a top 20 slot in the game revenue charts. The top eight games held their position from February, with Supercell’s Hay Day and Playrix’s Gardenscapes and Township as notable climbers.

The app revenue table also saw little movement in March. Only two apps traded places in the top 10, with the likes of Netflix, Tinder, and Spotify resolutely defending their positions. Unlike in the U.S., there was a more balanced picture for dating apps in Europe. Badoo and AdopteUnMec both fell after Valentine’s Day, but Lovoo and Match.com rose. This shows that apps with a focus on creating deeper romantic connections retained consumer trust after the flourish of February 14th. Lastly, the app download charts differed slightly from the United States. While BitMoji’s and Snapchat’s partnership helped each other into the top five, WhatsApp climbed the table to grab the top spot. eCommerce platform Ali Express also performed strongly in Europe last month, climbing to #12 in the charts.

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